Not so different
by Anna5678
Summary: Bella Parker has lived a rough life. And the thing she least expected was getting chosen for the Selection for King Maxon's Queen America's son, Prince Elliot. Can Bella make it through the Selection with the other Selected so competitive?
1. Chapter 1

I wake up to the sound of screams.

I sit up on my bed and look up. Sitting on her bed, Lacey has her hands over her eyes and shakes. I look up at the clock on the wall. 2:30 in the morning. I sigh and get up. I walk towards Lacey and sit on her bed.

"Hey. Are you alright?" I ask. She slowly peaks one eye out from out of her hands. Her eye is red and puffy. She was obviously crying. She nods. "Y-Yes. Just a nightmare." She says, trying to hold back tears.

When Lacey was 15, she came to the orphanage. When she first arrived, she had nightmares every night. And 2 years later, she still gets them.

She removes her hands from her face and looks up at me. From the window, the street light shines, creating a dim light in the small room. I can see the tears streaks on her face. "Sorry for waking you up." Her voice cracks.

I nod understandably. "It's alright. I get them too."

And I do. I was only five when my parents died in a fire. After they died, I was sent to my aunt's house to live with her. But unfortunately, she wasn't a nice person. Whenever I misbehaved, I would always get hit or slapped. And not just one. She used to just beat me for hours until I couldn't even stand because of the pain. I have scars from when I lived with her. When she got reported to the police for abusing me, I was sent to this orphanage. And when I get nightmares, it seems real. I can still see the orange flames. I can still hear my mother's screams. And I can still feel the pain when I got beat. I don't get the nightmares as often as Lacey, but its horrible when I get them. I can't imagine how Lacey must feel when she gets them every night.

Before Lacey came here, her father used to beat her. Her father was an alcoholic, and after her mother died he kinda went crazy. One day after Lacey came home from school, her father had hung himself. She had no other relatives that could care for her, so she had to come here.

Tears begin to stream down Lacey's face. She sniffs. "I just want them to go away. It was terrible when in it happened, but now it keeps repeating itself over and over…and I feel like it's my fault. If I hurried home from school faster, maybe I could have stopped it. I can't help but feel responsible for what happened." She sobs. I lean over and give her hug.

She cries into my shoulder. These are the awkward moments where I don't know what to say. There wasn't really anything to say, so I just let her cry. After a few minutes she stops crying and leaned her back against the wall.

"I feel defenseless against my own mind. I want them to stop, but they don't." Lacey whispers, looking up at the ceiling. I look at the ground. I knew how she felt. You want to forget, but it's like a constant reminder. It plays itself over and over in your mind until you know you can't forget and you know you won't ever be able to forget. I didn't know what to say, so I just sat there.

Then Lacey spoke, "I'm going to try and go back to sleep." I looked at her and nodded. "Ok. I will too." I knew she wasn't going to go to bed right away, she probably just wanted to be alone. So I stood up and walked back to my bed.

I got back under the quilt and faced the wall. I knew I wouldn't be able to fall asleep right away, so I just laid there and stared at the wall. I listened to the sounds of cars passing by on the road and I wondered what it felt like to be free.

It must feel good to be able to do whatever you want without your past holding you back. A lot of people don't appreciate that. The freedom of being able to do whatever you want without the constant reminders of your past haunting you. I don't have that. I never will.

I know that when I turn 18 in a few months, I'll be able to leave this orphanage, I'll be an adult. But I know that whatever I do, I won't be able to do the things that normally people do. I can't get married because I'm afraid if I fall in love I'll always be scared they'll leave or something will happen to them. I can't have kids without the constant fear of something happening to them or me and I can't take care of them.

When I turn 18, I'll be free but not truly free. I'll always be a prisoner of my mind. I'll always be different because of my fears. I won't ever be normal. I won't ever be normal because I know the cruelness in this world, and that's what scares me the most.

I duck my head into my pillow and sob into it. I close my eyes and drift to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Bella! Wake up!" Lacey shakes me, but I just roll over closer to the wall. "Come on! Wake up!" Lacey shouts. I groan and throw the covers over my head. I was never a morning person.

Lacey sighs. "Come on! It's a big day!" What surprised me is how cheerful Lacey sounded. That was rare. I took the quilt off my head and looked up at her. "What are you talking about? It's Saturday! A.K.A relaxation day!" I say. I throw the covers back over my head but Lacey yanks them off.

I sigh and sit up. I raise an eyebrow at her. "Would you care to explain to me why you woke me up from my beauty sleep?" I ask jokingly. She smiles at me. "Well the sleep didn't do anything. Your hairs a mess and you have dried drool on your face. But that's why need to make you look fabulous!" She gives Jazz hands. I laugh.

I was surprised at Lacey's sudden enthusiasm. But also confused as to why she wanted to make me look "Fabulous".

"And why exactly do I need to look Fabulous?" I question. She looks at me with confusion. "Oh come on! What do you possible think could have me in such a good mood?!" She asked, smiling at my confusion.

I had no idea.

"Um…uh…" I say, clueless. Lacey rolls her eyes. Instead of saying anything, she just holds out two envelopes and smiles from ear to ear. I look at them and realization hits me. The Selection.

That's why Lacey was so excited. Lacey has always been excited for The Selection. I suppose it gives her hope, but it just gives me doubt. I mean out of all the girls entering in Hudson, my chances of getting in were low. Not to mention all the girls in the country. Besides, even if I wanted to enter, I wasn't princess material. Lacey on the other hand, was born to be a princess. She may not always be happy or gleeful, but she is kind and loyal and thoughtful. Everything a princess should be. She also has the looks of a princess too. She has dark curly hair and blue eyes and can just glance at a boy and make him fall in love with her. She was perfect for the Selection.

Her chances of making it in were way higher than mine.

"Oh yeah, the Selection!" I try and sound as enthusiastic as possible. Lacey was in a good mood and was looking forward to us signing up together. I wasn't going to lower her spirits by not signing up.

Besides, it's not like I'm going to get in, so entering wouldn't make a difference.

Lacey grins and hands me a form and a pen. I sit down on the floor and begin to fill out the stupid form. I try to be as brief as possible, but Lacey takes her time, her neat handwriting filling the lines. I write as quickly as I can, desperate to get done with it. When I get done, I sigh in relief and set the form on the desk.

A half an hour passes and Lacey is still filling out her form. It seems like hours pass, and finally Lacey is done. She puts it on the desk and looks at me. A huge smile comes to her face. "Time to get ready!" She squeals.

The other girls here at the Orphanage were probably busy getting ready, too. The bathroom was probably total chaos. And I was right. When we walked down the hall and to the bathroom, girls were running in and out of it, makeup, brushes, and a million other beauty products in their hands. Girls crowded the bathroom as they tried to get ready.

Lacey sighed. "Let's just get ready in our room."

I groaned. I thought the overly crowded bathroom could be an accuse to just not get ready and go back to bed. I was wrong.

I followed Lacey back into our room. She pulled out a chair from the desk and gestures to me to sit down. When I did, Lacey studied my face, like she was trying to decide what she was going to do with it.

When she decided, she nodded and walked over to her dresser. She got out a pouch, probably containing makeup, and walked back to me.

I would have pulled out my own makeup, but I don't have any. I don't like makeup, and whenever _do_ try to put some on, I end up looking like a clown.

But Lacey is amazing with makeup. It's like she has a gift. I honestly think she would make an amazing makeup artist.

Lacey sets down the pouch and pulls some things out. She picks up a brush thingy and dabs a yellowish-white looking liquid to it. She then rubs it on my face.

I tap my foot impatiently as she applies what seems like a million other products to my face. Finally, when she's done, she holds up a hand held mirror to my face and I gasp in surprise.

I look amazing. My face looks smoother and there's color on my cheeks. My lips have a pink colored lipstick on them and on my eyes I have a light pink eyeshadow, along with eyeliner. **(Sorry if I didn't describe her makeup very well, I'm clueless when it comes to makeup ^_^)**

"Thank you so much! I love it!" I reach over and hug her. She grins. "I told you I would make you look fabulous!" She says and gives Jazz hands. I laugh and she hands me a brush.

"It's time to make your face look as good as your hair. Except you have to do it yourself while I do my makeup, so please don't mess it up." I roll my eyes at that and reply. "I'll try."

While Lacey does her makeup, I brush through my tangled dirty blonde hair. When I'm done, I put it in a side braid.

When Lacey finishes her makeup, she walks over to me and inspects my hair.

"Wow. Your hair looks good. That's surprising." She jokes. I laugh. "Let's get dressed so we can leave. I want to get back home as soon as possible so I can go back to bed." Lacey nods.

I walk over to my dresser and pick out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. When I'm done getting dressed, I look over and see Lacey in a floral dress and cardigan with white flats. She looks at me from the other side of the room, a confused look on her face. "You're not going to wear a dress?" She asks. I shake my head. "Nope. Besides, I don't even think I have dresses." I state.

I've never liked dresses. Pants are way more comfortable.

Lucy nodded and said, "Alright, let's go."

Before we started walking to the office, we checked in with Miss Daysha, the orphanage owner. Saturday was usually always our free day and we didn't have to do any work or have to worry about school work. We were allowed to go places, but we had to tell her before we did.

We walked through the hall and walked into Miss. Daysha's "office. Or at least that's what she called it, but it really was just a tiny room with an old wooden desk in the middle of it and it usually had papers shattered on it.

"Hey, Miss Daysha!" Lacey said cheerfully. "Bella and I are going to turn our forms."

Miss. Daysha looks up from her desk and pulls up her glasses that were sliding down her nose. "Alright. But be back before curfew." She said.

When we go out, Miss. Daysha gives us a curfew of 9 pm to be back at the Orphanage. And if we don't, we would have to wash the dishes for a whole week. But I was sure we would be back way before 9 pm, because we were just going to submit our forms and it was only 8 in the morning. The line wouldn't be that long. I hope.

The others girls at the Orphanage were going too, and we walked with them to the local office. The other girls were eager to get there, and so was I, but not for the same reasons.

The walk wasn't that long, and we got there in about five minutes. When we got there I realized the wait was going to be way longer than I thought. It turns out that we weren't the only ones that were eager to get our submissions in. It looked like every girl in the province was there. The line looked a mile long.

This was going to take forever.

We got to the back of the line and waited. I looked at the other girls ahead of us. Most of them looked way over done. They had tons of makeup on and were wearing very revealing clothing. But to be completely honest, they looked way better than me. Compared to their makeup, mine looked simple. Their hair looked like it took hours to do, with mine just in a simple braid.

For some reason, I felt the need to go back and change into something better. I quickly dismissed the thought, confused to why I cared so much. It wasn't like I was going to get in, so why did I suddenly care so much?

I sighed and shook the thoughts away.

After what seemed like forever, I finally made it to the window and handed in my form, confirming everything on it was true. I walked over to the chair and gave a forced smile as the lady snapped my picture.

After that, I walked back to the Orphanage and went back to bed.

 **Hey! That was the 2** **nd** **chapter and I hope you liked it! Sorry if it wasn't written that well, I'm suuuuuuppppppppeeerrrr tired and it was hard for me to concentrate. Anyways, I hope you liked the story so far and I will probably update tomorrow! Bye!**

 **-Anna**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It's Friday, so the Illea Capitol Report will be on tonight.

While the other girls rushed to get their chores done so they could be able to watch it on time, I took my time.

I dipped the sponge in the warm, soapy water and began scrubbing the floor. Lacey came over with a bucket and a sponge in her hands and sat down next to me. She scrubbed the floor so fast I was surprised her fingers didn't fall off. "So, are you excited?" She asked, not looking up from her work. It was obvious Lacey was, because she was trying to get her chores done fast, too.

I shrugged. "Excited as I'll ever be." Lacey nodded and continued to work. Once she was done, she rung out the sponge and placed the bucket down on the floor. She looked down at me. "You might wanna hurry up. The Reports gonna be on in 30 minutes." She pointed to the clock above my head. I shrugged and continued to work.

Honestly, I didn't see why all the other girls were so excited. It wasn't like they were announcing the Selected.

When I was done, I placed the sponge in the bucket, not bothering to ring it out. I placed the bucket on the floor next to Lacey's and rushed upstairs to change out of my wet clothes. I changed into an old shirt and sweat pants and walked back downstairs.

I walked into the living room, the last one enter. The other girls were on the floor whispering to each other with anxious looks on their faces. I rolled my eyes and sat on the couch next to Lacey.

Lacey grinned and said, "Took you long enough. It's about start." I nodded and looked at the small T.V.

The anthem began to play and the royal family came into view. The King and Queen sat in their seats, smiling. Prince Elliot sat on their left and was smiling too, but you could tell he was nervous. His light brown hair was combed back and his blue eyes were staring at the floor. His little sister, Princess Adalyn, who I think is about 13, sat to his left, a bored expression on her face.

Kind Maxon walked up to the podium and talked about all this boring stuff until finally, Gavril Fadaye came up to the stage.

"Good evening, Illea!" He said, a smile on his face. "Tonight I have the honor of speaking to the one and the only, Prince Elliot!"

Prince Elliot walked across the stage, a nervous expression on his face. He shook Gavril's hand and sat across from him.

"Hello, Your Majesty." Gavril greeted.

"Hello Gavril." The Prince seemed nervous and at loss for words. It was weird seeing a Prince like that, but at the same time reassuring to see that the Prince isn't as perfect as I thought he was.

"A bit nervous, are we?" Gavril questioned.

The Prince nodded. "Very. I have always been excited to have my own Selection, but nobody told me how nerve-racking it could be, and it hasn't even started yet."

Gavril nodded. "And I wish you the best of the luck. So you're excited for the Selection?"

"Yes. I look forward to meeting all of the girls and I can't wait for it to start."

"Yes it is very exciting. So, how do you plan on finding your future wife?"

The Prince thought for a second and said, "I plan on just finding someone I will love forever and who will love me back."

Gavril smiled. "Amazing strategy. We only have time for one last question. What would you imagine your perfect girl would be?"

"Like I said, I want someone that would love me. But I also want someone I can count on and trust no matter what." The Prince looked down at the floor, a light blush on his face. I roll my eyes at what he just said. He thinks he can trick people with his answer, but I know the truth. The Prince is probably just going to pick someone that will look good on T.V and who can give him lots of heirs. The other girls smile at his response and Lacey looks over at me, squealing.

"Isn't the Prince just fabulous?" She asks, giving Jazz hands, the charms from her bracelet jingle against her wrist. I shrug. I didn't want to tell Lacey what I thought when she obviously thought the Prince was amazing, just like everybody else. Lacey was happy, and I wasn't going to ruin that by telling her the truth. I suddenly feel sick of all of this and walk towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Lacey asks, following me off the couch.

"I'm going to bed. My head hurts." I lie. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. My head did hurt from just seeing the Prince.

Lacey nods. "Alright. I'll be up later. I hope you feel better." I nod and walk up the stairs to our room. I get under my covers and look up at the ceiling.

I don't know why, but I suddenly felt angry. I felt angry over the fact that I didn't have a chance, even though I never really wanted any. I felt angry over the truth. The truth that the Prince probably doesn't care about anything else except picking someone that will look good next to him, instead of finding someone to actually love. I don't know why, but the anger makes me want to compete. It makes me want to try. And I have no idea why.

I guess it's just my competitive side.

I sink my head into the pillow, trying to fall asleep.

 **Yay! So this was the third chapter, and I hope you enjoyed! *Jazz hands* And I might even update again later today MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

 **-Anna**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I can't sleep. No matter how hard I try, I can't sleep. I had been tossing and turning all night, of course, sleep never came.

I sat up in bed and looked over at Lacey. She was on her bed, sleeping peacefully. The silence reminded me of how much I would rather be asleep right now then wide awake. Maybe I should wake her up. I couldn't stand how quiet it was and I was sure Lacey wouldn't mind.

I walked over to her bed, about to wake her up. But when I was about to do so, a sudden pang of guilt took over. Lacey needed her sleep, she barely gets any with all her nightmares. Tonight was a rare occasion where she didn't wake up screaming, and I couldn't just wake her up.

It must be the Selection. She's probably not having nightmares because of the Selection. She's been so excited over it that must be the reason why she hasn't had any nightmares.

I sigh and sit back down on my bed, exhausted. All I wanted to do was sleep, but my mind was wide awake. I need to clear my thoughts. Maybe a walk would help…

At this point I didn't care. With how exhausted I was, I didn't care about breaking curfew. I just needed to clear my mind so I could get some sleep. Besides, everyone's asleep, I wouldn't get caught.

I tip-toed passed Lacey's bed, trying not to wake her up. I opened the door and slipped out of it, closing the door behind me. I crept through the empty hallway and silently walked down the stairs. _This is easier than I thought._

And finally, I made it to the door. I walked out, leaving it unlocked so I could get back in when I came back.

I walked down the Orphanage steps, breathing in the warm night air.

I walked down the sidewalk, listening to the sounds of crickets. The sounds of the night never failed to calm me.

I love being out at night. It's really peaceful, and it always helps me clear my mind. And I hate how I'm never allowed to go out because of curfew. Being outside right now gave me a sense of freedom, even if it was for a few minutes.

I turned the corner and walked further down the street to where all the side-shops were.

This was one of my favorite places at night, because this late everything was usually closed. A few cars pass by every now and then, but mostly it's always quiet. Just how I like it.

I look through some of the dark shop windows. I stop at a clothes shop and peek through. There are all types of clothing. What catches my eye is some of the dresses inside. Even though I don't like dresses, I have to admit that they're beautiful. They were streaked with silvers and golds, and sparkles went down it. _I wonder if dresses at the palace would look like that._

 _Wait…..what!?_ Did I seriously just wonder what dresses would look like at the palace? I shake the thought away.

I stop looking at the dresses and continue walking down the sidewalk. My mind drifts to the Selection. I was positive Lacey would get in, she was perfect for it. But then again, with all the girls entering, her chances were still a bit low. I realize that after the names are announced, I'm either going to be comforting Lacey or congratulating her. I prepare myself for her tears, because even though I have hope for Lacey getting in, I also have doubt. _But you could get in, too._ I think. No. That's Unlikely.

But, if I do get in it could prove myself wrong. I could prove to myself that I actually have a chance. And suddenly, I realize that all this time, I have actually wanted to make it in. But I was just concealing that with doubt. But now that I actually have hope, I actually want to try. I want to compete. I want to prove myself wrong.

I take a deep breath, realizing that I was ten times more tired than I was before. I needed sleep. But I felt too tired to even walk back.

I walk over to a nearby bench, sitting down on it.

 _I'm just gonna close my eyes for a second, and then I'm going to walk back._ I think.

I close my tired eyes and lay my head on the back of the bench.

 _I'm only going to close my eyes for a few seconds…_

 **.** ** _._** **.**

I open my eyes and see that's its lighter outside. People are walking on the side walk and cars are passing by.

 _Wait? How long was I asleep?_

I look around and see people staring at me, probably wondering why a teenage girl was asleep on a bench.

I get up and ask what time it is. An elderly woman looks at her watch and says, "11:00 am" She smiles.

My eyes go wide. 11:30!?1?! I'm going to be in so much trouble! I take off into a sprint and run down the streets. My heart beats hard against my chest as I mentally prepare myself for what's about to come.

I run up the Orphanage steps and fling the door open. I run inside and see everyone's in the living room. Some have tears in their eyes and others just look worried. I take a deep breath as I try to process all this. I didn't realize everyone cared about me so much. It relives my nervousness for a second, but it comes right back to me when I see Miss. Daysha come into the room.

Once she realizes I'm there, she slowly walks up to me, a scowl on her face. I prepare myself for yelling, screaming, anything. But what I didn't expect what a hug. She hugged me tight, her gray hair falling out of her bun. She pulls back and slides her glasses up, a stern look on her face.

"Everyone was so worried about you. I thought I was going to have to call the police."

"I'm sorry. Last night I couldn't sleep, so I decided to go for a walk. I fell asleep on a bench." I bite my lip and look down at the floor.

Miss Daysha nods. "I'm just glad you're okay. But you have dishes duty for the whole week." I nod.

I turn around and notice that all the girls are watching me. They all stay still, unsure of what to say. Lacey finally breaks the silence. She runs up to me, tears in her eyes. She gives me a hug.

"Bella! I'm so glad you're okay!" She wipes the tears from her eyes.

"I am too…" I say, unsure of what else to say. She shakes her head and sniffs.

"I was so worried. I woke up and you weren't there and… I thought I lost you." She burst into tears.

I feel bad for putting Lacey through that. It must have been horrible for her to think she lost someone else in her life. Guilt takes overs, and I cry with her.

"I'm so sorry, Lacey!" My bottom lip trembles. "It won't happen again, I promise!"

I can't see anything through my tears, but I feel other people wrap their arms around me. I wipe the tears from my eyes and see that everyone was hugging me. I couldn't believe everyone was so worried about me. I smile. But I'm so surprised and touched, that I start crying even more. Happy tears.

I start laughing and before I know it, everyone starts laughing with me. I cry even more and a girl, Elana, asks, "Why are you crying?" And I reply, "Because I'm happy. I have all my friends here." She smiles at that.

"Come on! Let's go watch some movies!" Lacey says, giving Jaszz hands. I smile and wipe all the tears from my eyes, following as everyone crowds around the small T.V.

A few hours later, while we're watching our third movie, I look over to the entrance to the kitchen.

I sigh. This is going to be a long week.

 **AHAHHHHHAHA! YAY! That was the fourth chapter, ayaayayyayayy! Be prepared, because Prince Elliot is going to be in the next chapter! *Grins mischievously* Anyways, I also wanted to say thanks for the reviews! Shoutout to MABubbles and daniagogo! It makes me so happy when people like my story! Thank you so much! You're awesome! *Fist bump***


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Prince Elliot's Pov**

I sigh as I look through the countless forms. No matter how many I went through, the pile of forms seemed to be endless. I couldn't seem to pick anyone.

How can I when one of them could end up being my future wife?

I'm about to pick one at random when Adalyn comes skipping into my room. Her red hair bounces behind her, and she has a huge grin on her face.

"What did you do this time?" I ask her. When Adalyn is this happy, she usually did _something._

She stops grinning and attempts to put on a poker face. "Um… I have no idea what you're talking about!" She smiles sweetly.

Right after she says that, I hear screams. I raise an eyebrow at her.

She grins. "Alright… I might have released cockroaches into the kitchen…"

I smiled. "This has to be your best yet." She shakes her head and laughs.

"Maybe. But I plan on doing something even better next time." She looks at my desk and sees all the papers scattered on it. She raises an eyebrow. "Picking girls out?"

I nod. "Yep. Father suggested I pick out the last five." I gesture towards all of the papers.

She nods. "So how many have you picked out so far?"

"None." I sigh and rub my face with my hands. This was way more stressful than I thought. Especially when the girls are supposed to be announced in six days. How am I supposed to comprehend all of this? I know I've had all of my life to prepare, but when the girls arrive one of them will be my wife. How can I not get nervous?

Adalyn walks up to my desk. "You're nervous, aren't you?"

"Wow. Is it really that obvious?" I reply sarcastically.

She rolls her eyes and says, "No need to be sarcastic. It was just a question. Besides, it's not that hard to choose. All you have to do is choose five girls you like and be done with it." She starts picking up forms from my desk and looks at them.

How can she say that? I'm about to see the girls that are about to compete to be my wife. And not only that, the queen. Wouldn't my nervousness be understandable?

I snatch the papers from her hands. "You have no idea how stressed this makes me! I thought that you be understanding, but you're not! If you're just going to annoy me, get out! I don't need anything else to make me more stressed!" I point to the door.

Her face falls. She looks sad at first, but then her face transforms into anger. "Fine! But I would advise you to stop being a jerk, because you know how I deal with jerkiness!" And with that, she storms out of my room and slams the door.

Right when she leaves, I immediately feel bad. I shouldn't have been so harsh on her.

I also feel bad for myself, because now I have to deal with her revenge.

After a while, I decide to go apologize. I walk over to my door and try to open it. But when I do, it won't budge. I try pulling harder, but it still remains stuck.

 _Adalyn._

I bend down and look through the keyhole. When I do, I see a rope tied to the doorknob across from mine. I start banging on the door.

"Guards! Help me out!"

"Sorry, Your Majesty. We can't do that. Princess' orders." I hear a guard say from behind the door.

I bang on the door again. "Well considering you're talking to your future King, I would advise you to let me out!" It takes a few seconds, but soon a guard opens the door.

I rush past them and head for Adalyn's room. The door is closed, so I push it open.

But as soon as I do, I get covered in yellow paint. Everything is covered, even my mouth got paint in it.

I wipe my paint covered hand over my eyes to get the paint out, but I end up getting more paint in it.

"Damn you Adalyn!" I can't see anything, but I can hear giggling from somewhere in front of me.

The next thing I know I'm covered in feathers.

I hear Adalyn burst out laughing. I swing my arms around, trying to find her.

My eyes are burning and so is my throat.

"Adalyn, why!? This is stinging my eyes and throat!" She laughs.

I try and find the door but end up slipping. This makes her laugh even more.

I pretend to slip again and act like I passed out. I hear Adalyn gasp. "Elliot! Oh my gosh this was a terrible idea!" I can hear her run over to me and grab my paint drenched hand, so I grab her and give her a bear hug, covering her in paint.

"Ugg! You idiot!" I hear her say. At this point the stinging in my eyes and throat is unbearable.

"Guards! Get me to the infirmary, please!" I yell. I feel people lift me up and carry me to infirmary, hearing Adalyn laughing behind. This is so embarrassing.

I imagine what I probably look like right now. A Prince covered in feathers and paint being carried by guards to go to the infirmary.

I groan. I'm going to get Adalyn back, whether she likes it or not.

 **So there you have it! Prince Elliot! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **-Anna**


	6. Chapter 6

Everyone crowds into the living room, anxious to watch the Report. I wipe my wet hands on a dish towel and walk out of the kitchen. I sigh in relief when I realize this is my last night of doing dishes. My hands have become red and cracked from the past week of doing them. It may not sound that bad, but with all the girls in the Orphanage, there are a lot of dishes.

I walk into the living room and sit next to Lacey on the couch. She looks just as nervous as everyone else. Which is understandable, because the Selected are about to be announced. Surprisingly, I am too. My palms begin to sweat.

The room is full of the sound of whispering but is quickly silenced when the anthem begins to play and the Report begins. I take a deep breath, trying to ease some of the nervousness. I still don't get why I'm so nervous. There's nothing to be nervous about, right?

The King appears and talks about boring stuff, but it's really short. Finally Gavril comes up to the stage, a huge smile on his face. He walks up to the Royal family. "Hello Your Majesties! Excited for the announcement?" He asks. The Prince answers first. "Yes. I can't wait to see the girls that are Selected." He smiles but you can tell it was forced. He looked down at the floor, unsure of what else to say. It was obvious he was really nervous, and he wasn't doing a good job of hiding it.

Gavril steps toward the Queen. "Any advice for the young ladies about to be Selected?" He asks. Queen America smiles. "Be ready, because your whole life is about to change. And always be yourself, because that's the best thing you can be." Gavril nods. "Fantastic advice, Your Majesty. Now, let's announce the Selected!" I look at the Prince and he looks more tense than ever. He's sitting in his seat, still looking down at the floor. I can't help but think: what a wimp. He seems way too nervous over this whole thing. All he has to do is sit back while the girls have to compete for him.

Gavril walks to the center of the stage, cards in his hands. A box appears at the top of the screen to show the Prince's reaction. I'm no longer nervous, just bored over the whole thing. I couldn't wait for this to end.

"Fawn Smith, Hansport." A girl with blonde hair and bright blue eyes appears on the screen. She has a wide smile, and happiness was radiating off of her. She truly was beautiful.

"Veronica Francessa, Allens."

My eyes widen when a familiar face comes onto the screen. "Isabella Parker, Hudson." Everyone in the room jumps up, shrieking. Well, everyone except me. While everyone rushes towards me, I stay frozen. _I made it in?_

"Bella! You're in! You're going to meet the Prince!" Lacey shrieks. I get up from the couch and become embraced with hugs. Everyone talks at once, which seems to overwhelm me more.

I can't help but feel that I proved myself wrong, that I actually have a chance. But I realize that there's much more than that. When I arrive at the palace, the competition really begins. How am I supposed to compete against the other Selected? I'm nothing special. I know nothing about being at a Palace. Besides, do I even want to compete? I know I wanted to prove myself wrong, but I still don't know why I do. And how am I supposed to compete for the Prince if I hardly even know him?

All these questions flash through my mind, and the next thing I know I'm running upstairs. Everyone looks at me with confusion as I run up the stairs, but I don't care.

I slam the door. _I just need to be by myself for a while._

I walk over to my window, looking through it. I sigh. How am I supposed to do this? I'm not fit for this.

 **Yay! I hope you enjoyed this, sorry it was so short! Thank you all for the reviews! Shoutout to XOStartbrightXO, daniagogo, and MABubbles! Stay awesome! *Fist bump***


	7. Chapter 7

**Prince Elliot's POV**

 _I'm walking through the hallways when I hear a scream. I look around, trying to find where it's coming from. I notice that I'm not on the third floor, but on the second one. The hallways are empty and dim. The moon shines through the windows, indicating that it's night. I hear the scream again, and it echoes through the hallway. I run towards the sound, stopping at a door. I put my hand on the doorknob, slowly turning it. I push the door open and look inside. It's one of the guest rooms. The bed in the center of the room is unmade and I look around to see if anyone's in the room. I see the balcony doors are open and I start walking towards the balcony. I hear a muffled sob and peak my head out to see what's going on. A girl sits on the ground, her face covered in her hands. I walk closer, trying to be quiet. The girl sobs and doesn't even seem to notice me. I'm standing above her when I ask, "Are you alright?" She tenses up and removes her hands from her face. I only get a glance of her surprised face before I wake up._

My eyes flick open. I sit up in bed and let out a breath, realizing that it was only a dream. I've been having the same dream every night since the Selected was announced on the Report a couple days ago. In my dream, the girl is always the same. I know she's one of the Selected, I just can't remember her name.

I look at the clock on my nightstand and see that it's 4 am. I get up from be and head to my bathroom.

I turn the light on and squint my eyes, adjusting to the light. I turn on the sink and splash water on my face.

When I look in the mirror, I see that I have bags under my eyes. I still have yellow specks of paint in my hair, but my maids got almost all of it out.

I sigh. _How am I going to survive this Selection?_

 **Bella's POV**

Lacey and I were in the kitchen, finishing up our chores.

Lacey is especially chatty today, considering I'm going to leave for the palace in 2 days and she was super excited for me.

"I wonder what the Prince is like! He must be so dreamy…" She trails off, looking dreamy eyed as she mopped the floor.

I rolled my eyes, focusing on the counter I was scrubbing. "He's probably a wimp." I mutter. But obviously Lacey heard it, because right after I said it she gasped. "Bella! He's not a wimp, he's a Prince! He's probably charming and sweet, and-." Lacey is interrupted when the kitchen door swings open, Miss Daysha walking in. She has serious look on her face.

"Bella. We have a visitor." She says, and behind her stands a man holding folders in his hands.

I nod and put my rag on the counter. Lacey start to follow, but Miss Daysha stops her. "We only need Bella. Stay here and complete your chores." Lacey looks disappointed, but goes back to mopping the floor. "I'll tell you later." I whisper. She nods.

I turn around and follow Miss Daysha out of the kitchen and into the living room. The man follows behind, balancing the huge stack of folders in his hands.

There are some girls on the living room floor, chatting, but Miss Daysha gives them a stern look and gestures with her hands. "Shoo." She says. They look at me with questioning eyes and scurry out of the room.

"Miss Daysha sits on the couch and I follow behind, but the man remains standing. He clears his throat and says, "Sorry we have to be so private, but there are some things we have to talk about." I get nervous when he says this, but I shake the feeling away. Miss Dayaha nods. "Not a problem. Continue."

He nods, and pulls out a folder from the stack. "Lady Isabella, it appears you are in excellent health, but I do need you take this every day. They are only vitamins, but it is essential you take them." He hands me a pill bottle. I nod and he grabs a paper from the folder.

"I need you to confirm that your virginity is intact. If not, I need to know that immediately." My eyes widen. Seriously? Gross.

I roll my eyes and nod. "Yeah. Of course I'm a virgin, I've lived in an Orphanage all my life. I haven't even been in the presence of a boy since I was a kid." **(If you're wondering why, it's because she lives in an all-girl Orphanage, sorry if it's never mentioned before :P)** The man nods.

"Alright. I just need you to sign this, and I'll be on my way." I grab the pen from his hand and scrawl my name down. He puts the paper back and puts the folder back on the stack.

He leaves and I rush back into the kitchen to where Lacey is. She's leaning against the counter, waiting for me. Her face brightens when she sees me. She walks closer to me, an anxious look on her face. "What was that about?" She asks. I shrug. "Not much. They just gave me pills and…asked me about some things." I leave out the part about them asking me about my virginity. That was just awkward.

She nods and grabs my hand, smiling "Come on! I need to show you something!" She starts dragging me out of the kitchen, but I pull my arm back. I smile. "Hold on, I need to finishes washing the counter." Her smile widens and she says, "I already done it for you. Come on!" I follow her out of the kitchen and she walks up the stairs.

We walk through our bedroom door and Lacey walks over to her dresser. She rummages around in it for a moment until she pulls out something. Her bracelet. I look at her wrist and notice that her bracelets gone. I look at her and see that her face has become serious. She takes a deep breath. "You've seen my charm bracelet before but I've never really told you the story behind it." She stops, looking down at the charm bracelet in her hands. "Before my mother died, when I was little, she gave it to me."

I didn't realize how much meaning this bracelet had to Lacey. I hadn't really noticed how much she cherished it.

She continues. "Each charm represents something in my life." She brings the bracelet closer to my face, pointing to a bicycle charm. "My mother gave me this one when I learned how to ride a bike." She points to another one. "And this one is from my 10th birthday." She points to a number 10 charm. I look at the countless charms on her bracelet. No wonder this had so much meaning to her. It holds a piece of her mother, and it represents different parts of her life. I didn't notice before how much this means to her. "I want you to have it." She says. I gasp and look up from the charms I was looking at. "Really?" I ask.

Her face is serious. She looks me in the eyes. "Yeah. You're my best friend, and you've always been there for me. This is my token of gratitude." She gestures toward the bracelet.

I'm speechless. I couldn't believe it. This bracelet obviously means so much to her, it's the only thing that she has of her mom left, and she was giving it to me. Her best friend. I'm so shocked that I can't say much, but I muster a few words.

"I can't accept this." I say. She smiles. "Of course you can. Hold out your wrist." I do and she slides the charm bracelet on my hand.

"But, since it's yours now, you have to start fresh." She reaches for the bracelet and begins to slide every charm off. Once she's done, she places the charms in a box. She looks back up at me and grins.

"Here's the start." She holds out a charm, and I lean in to get a better look. It's a four leaf clover. It's so detailed and beautiful that I'm gaping. "It's for good luck." She slides the charm onto the bracelet.

I shake my wrist, watching as the beautiful charm dangles.

I can't believe Lacey would give me something so beautiful, and something that means so much to her.

I give her a big hug. "Thanks so Lacey! It's so beautiful, I love it!" She laughs and hugs me back.

She finally pulls back and says, "You can do this."

I want to believe her, but I can't. But I can try. I promise myself that I'll try. I just need to promise Lacey.

"I'll try my best. I promise." She smiles at that.

 **Yup. I hope you enjoyed! Sorry if Prince Elliot's POV confused you in the beginning, bit it will all make sense later on. *Grins diabolically***

 **-Anna**


	8. Chapter 8

"This is so exciting!" Lacey squealed into my ear. I look at her and smile, not feeling like saying anything. I've been consumed by my thoughts all day. Millions of questions are zooming through my head.

How am I supposed to keep my promise to Lacey, when I don't stand a chance? I've memorized all of the Selected, and everyone else seems to have so much more than me. They either have better looks than me, are smarter than me, or have better relations. I can't compete with any of that. I feel useless.

It would be understandable to assume that I would be eliminated first.

I wonder why I would even bother trying to compete. Obviously I wouldn't make it very far in this competition. But I still have some hope. I'm sure they'll teach us things about etiquette when we get to the palace, and they can use dresses and makeup to make me look better.

At first I wanted to prove to myself that I have a chance, but now I'm questioning if a chance for me in this competition even existed.

I look over at Lacey, who was smiling bright and looking out the car window. I sighed. "Lacey…do you think I have a chance?" I ask, looking down at the floor. I know she thought I did, but whatever her answer was I wanted to explain to her my chances so I wouldn't disappoint her. I felt bad that she had so much faith in me, but then she's gonna end up disappointed when I get sent home.

"Bella. Is this why you've been so quiet all day? Do you not think you have a chance?" She asked. I look up at her, sighing. "It's just…at first I thought that I could prove myself wrong. But now I doubt that that's even possible…and I feel stupid for thinking that I could do that in the first place," I twirl the charm from my bracelet through my fingers. "And you have so much faith in me… I'm going to feel bad when you get disappointed because I lose. I don't want to disappoint you. And I want to keep my promise, I do. But that seems impossible."

Lacey looks at me like I'm crazy. "I've always had faith in you. And I'm not going to lose it. Even If you lose, I'll still be proud of you. You can't disappoint me, because guess what? You're gonna win. I know it."

I smile. It reliefs all of the pressure that I've had. Now that I know that I won't disappoint Lacey, after I lose, this can all be over. I'll go to the palace, try on some dresses, eat some amazing food, and when I get eliminated go home. I realize that going to the palace can be a good experience, now knowing that when I get sent home I won't hurt anyone. This could be fun.

I hug Lacey. "Thanks Lace. I feel so much better after you said that. Now that I know that, this can be fun." She grinned.

"Of course it's going to be fun! Because you're going to go to the palace, meet some new friends, and claim your new husband." She says.

I laugh. "I don't know about that. I'm definitely going to bring home some food from the palace though. And some dresses for you. And besides, I don't think I can find a friend as good as you." I say. Lacey nods. "And I can never find a friend as good as you."

…

We got out of the car and stepped into the square, filled with what seemed like thousands of people. Maybe it was.

Lacey held my hand as we walked through the crowd and made our way towards the stage. I looked around and seen that everyone was watching me. Some had looks of disgust or hate on their faces while others smiled at me or waved. I didn't really care about everyone that didn't like me, but I was surprised at the people that did like me. Too bad they would be disappointed.

When we got to the steps, Lacey let go of my hand. "You can do this." She said. She weaved back through the crowd and went to Miss. Daysha was. I took a deep breath and walked up the raised stage.

The mayor waited on the stage for me, microphone in hand. He watched me as I walked across the stage, a frown on his face.

He was smiling genuinely until he seen me walk onto the stage. His staring was frightening; but it didn't show hate, it showed curiosity, interest. His dark eyes narrowed at me as I came closer. I put on a fake smile when I approached him.

"Hello, my darling." He said, his voice low. "Hello, mayor Malum." I said as sweet as I could.

He held out his arm, gesturing to get everyone's attention, even though everyone's eyes were already trained on the stage. "Hundson will be cheering on the beautiful Isabella Parker!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, and people started clapping. Though not everyone was clapping. Some stood with their arms crossed, others with looks of uncertainty.

But while some didn't clap, everyone else was animated. They were clapping, waving at me, shouting my name. Some held up signs with my name on it and threw roses. I could get used to this.

I started blowing kisses and waving, a big smile on my face. This made everyone somehow even more enthusiastic, but the ones that weren't clapping seemed even more unsettled. They narrowed their eyes, shaking their heads at me. I stopped for a moment, confused as to why some of them did that. But I went back to smiling and waving.

Mayor Malum seemed pleased to have everyone cheering for me, but when he saw how cheerful I was, he frowned. Just as I was about to wave again, he grabbed my hand. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "Use your power to your potential, dear girl." I stepped back, confused. "Excuse me?" I asked.

But he didn't answer, because he put on a fake smile a looked at the crowd. "Let us all send off, Isabella Parker, our favorite Daughter of Illea!" Everyone clapped even louder, screaming. Even the ones that didn't clap smiled. I looked through the crowd, trying to find Lacey. I spotted her holding up a sign with my name on it, waving it above the crowd. I smiled at her and she grinned.

The mayor looked in the direction I was looking and smirked. "I also trust that she will use her power for the better, too." He says, quiet enough for only me to hear. I look at him, confused and creeped out. I step back trying to get as far away from him as possible.

He finishes speaking, and then finally I'm able to leave. I walk across the stage, trying to get away as fast as I can. The crowd is even louder than before. The mayor watches me again as I do so and smiles, his creepy smile. I walk down the steps and my aide tells me it's time to say good bye. I practically ran over to Lacey and Miss Daysha.

I ran into them, giving them a big hug. "I'm going to miss you so much!" I tell them. Lacey smiles, hugging me back. "We'll miss you too!" At that moment, I really wish the other girls were here. We weren't able to bring everyone, so only Miss. Daysha came. Some also had to finish their chores, and others just weren't able to come. I wish I was able to say good bye to everybody. "Lacey, can you tell the other girls I said goodbye? I wish I could tell them now." I tell her. She nods. "Of course! But when you come home, remember to bring back your new husband! What was his name? Oh yeah, Prince Elliot!" She squeals. I laugh. "I doubt that. He has 34 other girls to choose, I doubt he'll pick me. Besides, how am I supposed to compete with the other girls? They seem to be way better for the Prince than me." I say. Lacey scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Yeah right. Just believe me, okay? You're gonna win!" She says, giving Jazz hands. I smile at how much she believes in me. "I'll try. Remember my promise?" I ask. She nods again. "Of course I remember your promise! If you try, you'll definitely win!" She gestures with her arms.

I appreciate how much she has faith in me. And since she does, I know I'll try my very best to keep my promise. I have to. I hug Miss. Daysha one last time. "I'm going to miss you at the Orphange." She tells me. I smile. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon enough." I tell her. She shakes her head. "Maybe not." That was thelast thing I hear her say before I'm dragged away by my aide, Maci, I think it is.

She leads me to a shiny grey car and instructs me to get inside. I sit down on the comfy seat.

I look around, amazed at my surroundings. I've never been in such a fancy car before. Besides the one that took us here, this one was better. I've only been on a few care rides, mostly before I came to the Orphanage and occasional bus rides. This was amazing.

I admired the cup holders, the T.V, the leather seats. I reminded myself that this was just the start, that I still had yet to arrive at the palace. I imagined what things at the Palace probably looked like. Probably more luxurious than this.

I sink down into the comfy seat, appreciating how soft it was. I look out the window, getting one last smile from Lacey and a sinister smirk from the mayor. This was only the beginning.

…

I'm the last to arrive at the airport. Maci was behind carrying my bag, which I could've done, considering I didn't pack much. As soon as I walked through the doors I was met with 3 pairs of eyes. I guess they were waiting for me, and I felt uncomfortable being the center of attention at the moment so I said, "Sorry if you waited a while. I took a bit longer saying my good-byes." I smiled.

The 3 girls were standing by the door I just arrived in, looking at me. I looked back at them, trying to recognize them. The tall one had brown hair and hazel eyes, who I think is Bridget Bowens of Dakota. The other girl was standing beside Bridget, smiling brightly at me. I recognized her as Kelly Holbrook of Fennley. And the last girl was standing alone, I think is Lela of Calgary.

After I said that I was expecting a scoff or at least an eye roll. But instead Kelly rushed ahead and stood in front of me, Bridget trailing behind her. "Hi! You're Isabella, right?" She asked, her eyes shining with excitement. I nodded and smiled. "Yes, but please just call me Bella." Keely's smile widened at that. "Well, I'm Kelly and this is Bridget!" She gestured behind her, looking at Bridget. Even though I already knew their names, I nodded.

Bridget stared at me, her eyes looking surprised. She stood silent for a moment before she talked. "Hey." She greeted. She continued to stare at me, looking deep in thought. Kelly snapped her fingers in front of her face. "Bridget, are you okay?" Bridget moved her head back, finally breaking her gaze. "Yes…" She said uncertain.

I stood there, unsure of what else to say. I noticed Lela standing behind them, looking down at her feet. She looked lonely, so I started to walk up to her, with Bridget and Kelly following behind. "Hi!" I greeted cheerfully. She looked up, startled. She stared at me for a moment before looking down at the ground. She tucked a blonde strand behind her ear. "Hi." She answered. She seemed shy, so I didn't want to make her uncomfortable by talking to her, so I just stood beside her so she wouldn't be alone.

Kelly stood to my left with Bridget beside her. "When are we leaving?" I asked them. They weren't able to answer though, because right then the door opened, revealing a man. "Are all the girls here?" He asked, looking at us. We all nodded.

He escorted us to the plane, our aides following behind us. Kelly was giddy with excitement, jumping up and down as she walked. "This is it! We're going to be on our way to the palace!" She skipped along. She kind of reminded me of Lacey, with her excitement about the palace. I sighed, already missing my friend. But at least I've met some new friends to be here with me while I'm in the Selection. And I figured that that was part of the promise I made to Lacey, trying. And making new friends was trying so far, right?

Bridget stayed silent, looking ahead as we walked closer and closer to the plane. I didn't really know what I thought of her yet.

Lela stayed quiet, too, looking at the ground as she walked.

We entered the plane, my heart thumping. I've never been on a plane before, and I wasn't sure of what it would be like. I looked around, noticing that it was even fancier than the car I rode in. But I didn't have time to admire any of it, I was too busy being nervous about the flight.

I sat down on a silky couch, taking a deep breath. Kelly sat right beside me. "What's wrong?" She asked. I shook my head, still looking at the floor. "I've never been on a plane before." I answer briefly.

Kelly nods. "I haven't either. But I think it's exciting!" She bounced in her seat, her bubbly attitude starting to get on my nerves.

Bridget sat quietly beside us, looking out the window. She seemed to be thinking about something.

Lela sat on a couch across from us, propping her elbows on the top of the couch, watching outside the window. I sighed.

The plane started to move, and my legs started to shake. For some reason, the thought of being in the air scared me more than ever. I put my hands over my eyes, trying to stay calm. Kelly looked at me with a concerned look on her face, while Bridget raised her eyebrow at me. I ignored them and kept my hands over my eyes, rocking back and forth.

A few minutes passed and I knew we were up in the sky. I was shaking badly, going over all the possible scenarios in my head.

 _What if we fall out? What if we run out of gas? What if we crash the plane?_ I knew we would probably be in the plane for a while, so I needed to get used to the fact that I was in the sky, not safely on the ground.

I took a few deep breaths. I brought my knees to my chest, cradling them. "Are you scared of heights?" I heard Bridget ask. I looked at her, seeing she had an amused look on her face. "I don't know. I've never been on a plane before." Bridget looked away from me, rolling her eyes. "It seems like it. And you shouldn't be scared, especially someone like you." She whispers the last part. I narrow my eyes at her.

"What are you talking about?" I demand. She looks back at me, raising an eyebrow. "So you don't know? I kinda already assumed that, but now I know." What was she talking about? I was about to reply when I hear her whisper something. Then I feel a sudden bump, making me fall out of the seat. Everyone looks at me, as I stand up from the floor. They seem like they didn't feel anything.

"Did you feel that?" I asked. They all look at me with confusion.

"Feel what?" Kelly asks. How can she not know?

"The bump the plane just made! I just fell out of my seat because of it!" They all look at me like I'm crazy. Well, except Bridget. She smiling widely, looking amused. What's going on?

I decide to let it go, because I don't want to give Bridget that amusement. I sit back down, but this time by Lela. I didn't want to be around her. I decided that I don't like. I make a mental note to avoid her as much as possible. I sit in my seat, waiting as we get closer and closer to the palace, the fear bubbling up inside me. I ran my fingers over the charm that Lacey gave me, which seemed to calm me down.

 **TEHEHEHEHEHEH. So, I hope you enjoyed. What do you think so far? Again, sorry if some parts confused you, but it will all make sense later. Just stay tuned.**


	9. Chapter 9

After the nerve-racking flight, we began to walk off the plane. I was suddenly in a better mood, probably because I wasn't shaking with fear anymore. I was surprised when I got scared, I never realized that I had a fear of heights before. Then again, I never really had the opportunity to realize it either.

We walked down from the plane, the sounds of the crowd become louder. I looked ahead, seeing people crowded around the terminal. In the middle there was a clearing for us to walk, where a carpet was set along with ropes on both sides.

I walked behind the other girls, looking around at all that was ahead of me. People cheered for us, all of our names being shouted at the same time. Though I noticed that everyone else's names were heard more than mine, I still felt grateful for those who did cheer for me. It's not like I was planning on winning or anything, but at least I had supporters while I was there.

Bridget walked ahead, her head high, looking forward. She had her hands at her sides, not even bothering to look wave at the crowd or to even look at the sides. When I looked at her face I noticed she wore a serious expression.

I was about to roll my eyes at her, but I remember that there were cameras, probably capturing every moment. Knowing that many were watching, I put on a smile. People cheered even louder, some even holding up signs. I scanned the crowd, seeing some that had my name on it. I smiled even wider, appreciating that some supported me. Looking over the whole crowd, I lifted my hand high as I waved.

I looked over the thousands of smiling face, noticing some in complete contrast. Some wore frowns, observant looks on their faces. I noticed that the ones that weren't cheering had their eyes trained on only me and Bridget. They had their eyes narrowed, as if they were sizing us up, trying to get an impression of us. I waved at a group of people that wore frowns, but as soon as they seen me their faces shifted into disapproval.

I figured that maybe some didn't like some of us, that's why there weren't cheering. They were probably getting an impression of us before they started rooting for us. But if that was the case, wouldn't they be pleased to see me like this?

"They're losing faith. Take pride in yourself. Give them something to approve of. " I hear Bridget say. She looks ahead, no expression on her face. This girl was beginning to confuse me. Now that I think of it, everything seemed to be…odd. I guess it's just because of the selection, but I guess it was just one of those days. But one thing that confused me the most was Bridget giving me her advice.

I walked closer to her. "Why should I listen to you? It's obvious you don't like me. Besides, the way you're acting towards the crowd isn't going to win anyone's favor." She grins at that.

"That's what you think." I was about to ask her what she was talking about, but what was the point? If she thought being emotionless towards the crowd was going to make anyone like her, why correct her? Besides, she was my competition. I shouldn't tell her anything that will help her.

I move forward, focusing my attention ahead of me. I see Kelly skipping along, her hand in the air as she waves to the crowd. She smiles brightly as Lela walks behind her. Lela isn't as enthusiastic as Kelly, but she still had a small smile and waves occasionally.

Kelly skipped over to some people in the crowd, autographing things for them. She stopped and gave children hugs, smiling at everyone she passed.

I thought that would be a good idea, it could probably make people like me. I took this as a perfect opportunity to fulfill my promise. I walked over to the side, stopping near a group of people. They had scowls on their faces as they watched me. "Hello." I said. Instead of them asking for autographs like I expected them too, they just tipped their heads towards Bridget. "I would suggest you take her example. Unless you're trying to displease your own."

I looked at Bridget, the only one that wasn't waving or interacting with the crowd. I looked back at them. They had smirks on their faces, amused with my confusion. "I have no idea what you're talking about." I said. Things were getting stranger by the second. I wondered if things were going to be as weird at the palace.

They rolled their eyes. "Of course. She gets entered into the selection and she doesn't even know her own power." I looked at the ground. I didn't understand any of this. Instead of replying, I walked back to the center of the carpet, deciding that it would be better not to talk to the crowd. I didn't wave anymore, I was just desperate t get to the end of the crowd.

We continued to walk until we got to the end of the ropes, where a white limo sits. Bridget immediately opened up the door, sitting down. Kelly lingered a little bit longer, eager to sign as many autographs as possible. My confusion had shifted my mood, so I was trying to get into the car as fast as possible. I sat down a seat away from Bridget, not taking any chances of embarrassment. Once I did Bridget raised an eyebrow at me. "I'm not going to bother you again. It's fine if you sit by me." I looked at her face, expecting a smirk but instead got a stern expression.

I stare at her for a second, trying to decide. Finally I sigh and sit down next to her. Now that we were in the car she didn't seem so emotionless, she just seemed bored.

A few minutes later Kelly and Lela got in. The car moved away from the crowd, on it's way towards the palace.

…

"So, darling, let's talk about your look, shall we?" A girl covered in tattoos asks. She lifts pieces of my hair up with both hands, peering into the mirror.

"Uh. Look?" I ask. The girl scoffs her accent ringing through the air. "

Yes, your look. I was thinking dying your hair, add some makeup." My eyes widen. "Uh, I don't think I wanna dye my hair…" I say. She rolls her eyes as if I'm the dumbest person in the world. She lifts up my hair again.

"But it's so plain. It's not special, but it's also not boring. Let's mix it up a bit." A smile spreads across her face.

I shrug. Maybe something different is better. "Do whatever you want to my hair. I have no idea about hair, so just do what seems best. Nothing crazy though." Her smile widens.

I prop my legs up on the makeup table, resting my head against the back of the chair. The lady looks at my feet and shakes her head, but focuses completely on my makeover.

I sat patiently as I inhaled the smells of hair dye, nail polish, and about a thousand other beauty products around me. The chattering of girls echoes through the room.

After about an hour, the lady is done.

I look in the mirror and gasp. My hair is basically the same color, but a bit lighter, and it seems to glow. She put on light makeup, but enough to bring out the good qualities in my face. My nails are painted a light pink, along with some sparkles on the side of each nail.

My hair was curled and looked softer, but I assumed that was from the conditioners she used. After I was done looking in the mirror, the lady leads me to a rack of clothes. I'm fitted into a pink dress that has ruffles. It has a cute silver belt accessory, along with sparkles on the upper part of the dress.

When I'm done with that, I'm directed towards a station in the back of the room. There's a girl waiting for me with a camera and she quickly snaps my "after" photo.

I then was directed to a seat close by with a camera in front of it. I sit down and wait while a girl, who doesn't look much older than me, come up. She smiles brightly at me as she looks at my name tag. "Hello! You're lady Isabella, right?" I nod.

"Well, we are going to being the makeover special. We're just going to be doing a little interview." As she says that, the red light on the camera turned on.

"Okay…" I say. She looks down at her clipboard, adjusting her black glasses.

We go over a few questions until she says this,

"Well, we wish you luck in the competition, and we hope you try your hardest to win!"

"Oh, I plan on it."

After saying that, i'm put in a line with the other girls. A lady with gray streaks in her hair comes up to us.

"Hello, everybody! Welcome to the selection! We're going to go on a little tour, then we'll take you to your rooms!"

 **I am soooooooooooooooooo sorry that I haven't updated in like a week. I'm so so so so so so so so so sorry! Plz forgive me, because you're all amazingly awesome! I will try to start updating regularly, but I might be a bit busy because my school starts up soon. Anyways, thank you all for being so amazing!**


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